


Catwalk

by transvestitescanbe



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Bottom Gerard Way, Bullying, Chubby Gerard Way, Crossdressing, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Hippies, Homophobic Language, Little Gerard Way, M/M, Mild Smut, Punk, Punk Frank Iero, Romeo and Juliet References, Slurs, Theatre, Top Frank Iero
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:28:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24956881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transvestitescanbe/pseuds/transvestitescanbe
Summary: There always seemed to be a curse set on opening night, every single person in the cast experienced one form of a screwup, all in equally embarrassingly bad ways.Except for the star, the wonder of the show: Gerard.He played his role of Romeo with such dedication and care, it could be considered creepy.After that show, Frank, a hippie at heart but a punk in bed, finds someone in a locker who has no right being there.No rhythm or reason at all to the boy in the locker.<>WARNING!: This story will contain a chub kink, crossdressing, mlm relationships, age regression (not sexual, of course) and very minimal smut. This fic will mostly be a fluff/angst piece as I am not confident in my more sexual writing. TW: This story will contain drugs, slurs, harrassment, homophobia, gynandrophobia (against crossdressing), and teenage angst you often see in fics like these.Thank you for reading, have a nice ride.
Relationships: Frank Iero/Gerard Way
Comments: 11
Kudos: 61





	1. Opening Night

**Author's Note:**

> I am transferring this fic from my Wattpad (transvestitescanbe), and I will update as I update it on Wattpad. The first few chapters will be uploaded at once!

Opening night, always the worse show of the two. With shaky lines, hesitant actors, and strange misfortunes, nothing seemed to go right.

  
But not for Gerard.

  
See, Gerard Way was not popular by any means, even by Theater Kid standards. However, he was fantastic at performing, as his teacher noticed from their lunch sessions and how well he did in class. There was a certain light about him, a golden glow no one could possibly think to replicate. When he got on that stage, he would deliver something amazing. So it was only natural he was chosen as Romeo, much to his peers' dismay. Adorned in fake gems and cheap velvet, opening night was a disaster, but Gerard wasn't. Confident and Proud.. the only time he was...  
The play ended after it's fifth act, resulting in a trembling Paris messing up the final line of the play with a haze that you could practically taste.

Poor guy.

Enter Frank Iero, known marriage of two styles that should not have worked; punk and peace loving man. He was popular because he was the person with all the secrets, and you had to pay him to learn many of them. Yes, he had ruined high school social lives, but he could care less. More money for more recording time.  
He had gone to see the play opening night, it was required for his AP English class, as that was what he would go into in college, and God, was it bad. Except for the lead, he knew how to put on the dramatics, that's for sure.  
The faux gold really brought out his eyes, even from the back row.  
Skip to after the whole ordeal of love, death, and monkshood which follows Frank roaming the halls, waiting for a deal to earn at least 210 bucks. Oh, he had something good to tell, a good thing to whisper. In fact, why not practice that whispering? So he did, faintly telling himself about the new guitar he would get with that money, when he heard the halls whisper back.  
"Help.. please help..." A small voice begged from behind a metal door. It sounded.. in pain, hurt like a kitten, a rather talented one.  
Of course Frank was concerned, walking to the repeated calls for help with a cocked eyebrow. That's when he passed by the locker, the person inside hearing those steps and letting a gasp past their small lips. A pause as Frank stopped moving, staring at the muted reflection with great interest.  
"Please help.. some guys uhm.. uh, put me in here. It's my locker, the combination is 24-16-05..." Instead of moving frantically like you would expect one's wish to go, this was slow, tired... it had clearly been a long day for this person. So Frank, feeling sorry, immediately dialed it in, stepping back after unlocking the light pink lock. The door opened slowly, and there stood the star of the show himself.

"Romeo?" Frank scoffed, realizing that wasn't Gerard's name and covering his mouth, eyes darting away to pretend to be interested in anything but this. Gerard was a tight fit in there, barely able to step out. As he squeezed himself out, stumbling in his tank top and sweatpants like a drunk. "Oh, your nose-" The shorter of the two immediately observed, stepping forward slightly as Gerard whimpered. Blood was dripping like acid onto his grey top, it felt like it was slowly deteriorating his entire body. They didn't even leave him anytime to take his makeup off, those bastards.  
So there he stood, under the dim, white lights that couldn't capture that gold eyeshadow like the stage could, hunched over and on the verge of tears. "Can you walk me out to my car?" The poor boy asked, voice breaking as he stared at Frank with an alien gaze, one far from where they were at.  
Who wanted to be there anyway?...

"Of course.."

<>

  
They walked out to silver Subaru XT, which was one of the few cars left in the once packed full back parking lot. Hell, you couldn't even call it that. It was gravel and florescent spray paint, which seemed to disappear half of the time so most cars simply guessed, resulting in far too many vehicles being packed like sardines in a cheap lot.  
Gerard was gripping a camo patterned sports bag like it was the only thing worth saving, with small pins of various metal bands, from thrash to glam, adorning the side facing Frank. It seemed he had a collection.  
The two were silent, the lazy wind filling in some of those awkward gaps, but most were still there. Even when Gerard's black tennis shoes hit the gravel with a heavy and tired thud, some of those pockets of tension were there. So Frank took a knife to it.  
"You did so good, dude. You were like the saving grace of that show." The black haired boy chuckled out nervously, merely glancing to Gerard, who's nose had decided to go easy on him and stop bleeding. "It'll.. It'll be better tomorrow." He replied with a slight drop in his face, anxiously letting his eyes wander to try and find his car.  
Frank peered over his Greg Raymer glasses, tilting his head while Gerard became more uneasy, steps slightly faster as he spotted his moonlit car. Everything Gerard owned also enjoyed the spotlight.  
As they reached the dingy car, Gerard threw his bag in the back and gave Frank a nod. "Thank you for uhm.. walking me out. Hey, why don't you come tomorrow, see the better version? Uhm, here, you won't need to pay, I can get you a seat right up front!"  
"Wait, wait- you don't need-"  
Gerard was already leaning over the top of the car as he pulled out his cracked little flip phone, fingers moving like lightening to type a note for his teacher.  
"There, a secured spot... hopefully you can make it.. same time." With an unsure smile, Gerard swung into the driver's seat and reversed out of the parking lot, out of the spotlight...

"You didn't even tell me what to do.." Frank muttered under his breath, knitting his eyebrows as he walked to his little vintage yellow Bug. Even without knowing who to talk to to get in for free, Frank had a feeling it would work out.

  
Why was that, Romeo?


	2. The Second Showing

" **COME SEE OUR VERY OWN BELLEVILLE HIGH THEATRE DEPARTMENT PERFORM ROMEO AND JULIET. JAN. 17TH AND 18TH AT 8:00 PM.** "

Frank remembers seeing those posters around, they were a slap in your face, assault on your eyes carried out by a freshman who thought neon yellow and black looked just wonderful married together. The director probably had more important jobs than thinking about posters, such as getting paragraphs upon paragraphs of monologues down or figuring out how to not spend all of their budget on costumes. In fact, everyone's costume seemed very plain next to Gerard's, like they were unfinished, ragged around the edges. Maybe favoritism was at play here?  
When Saturday lazily rolled into a chilled darkness at around 6:00 was when Frank remembered all about the play, and all about how Gerard went out of his way to make sure he got a free seat. "Fuck, I don't wanna go." The teen groaned aloud as he started to clean his paintbrush. Currently, he was working on a tedious art project which involved him painting the same damn bird over and over on a 24 by 36 inch canvas. Fuck he hated painting, but it was a pass or fail grade, and he'd rather not bring his grade down any lower than it needed to be.  
There he stood, cleaning out the tired bristles of the fun-size brush, weighing his options. Keep painting? Or go to that damn play again? How was Gerard so sure it would be better than yesterday? The only reason he went the first time was for an important class. He has to write a critique on this, after all. What else could he say? 'I saw it both times and it seemed the second time astounded me with how unprepared and dogshit the entire thing was.'

Except for Gerard Way, of course.

Going to this play was the least Frank felt he could do to make up for the shitty night the star had before. Sure, Frank knew plenty of people who got shoved in lockers, or people who got beat until you could only recognize their eyes, but Gerard seemed so... different. Perhaps it was seeing his stellar performance? Or maybe the fact he did something so sweet as arrange a seat for him? All Frank knew was that this felt like something he was obliged to do.   
But was it really?

<>

Frank had parked in the back, same spot surprisingly, as if the universe was urging him to see Gerard, be there for him. Destiny was bullshit in Frank's mind, he valued his freewill beyond most other things which was surprising considering how he took over group projects as the self appointed 'leader.' He was insufferable sometimes, people wished with all their hearts they could beat him up, but he was the secrets guy. 

No one fucked with the guy who knew dirt on everyone in the school.

The auditorium building stood tall, it was the schools pride and joy. Sure, they had a passable football field, and their gym was the best in the district but their theatre? They made sure the gorgeous velvet purple curtains were getting their use, hosting assemblies, plays, musicals, and even events hosted out of school. Everyone knew it was beautiful, too. Cherry oak flooring on the stage illuminated the glistening gold landscape backdrop they often used, mainly because it held a rather elegant aesthetic that this play especially needed.  
Frank always enjoyed the stage, it stood tall and took seven steps to even get on. There was a time when he wanted to perform with a band up there, but then he realized no one would enjoy his strange concoction of acid rock and folk punk that would be vomited out onto that poor guitar.

As he strolled into the bustling lobby, he started picking at his skin, nervous. The worst that would happen would be that Gerard didn't relay the message properly and he isn't let in. Not too bad, yeah? But... it felt like he was stabbing Gerard in the back, being the jerk for the fun of it. No one liked that shit. However, that anxiety melted away into a holographic pool as he noticed that stupid little headband with a tiny rounded beret pinned to it. And it seemed the wearer noticed Frank at that exact instant.  
"Hey!" Gerard greeted with a bright halo around his eyes, lips curved upwards in a shy smile. It was interesting that no one seemed to be paying attention to Gerard as an actor, there were weird looks here and there from people wondering who this guy was. Aren't the actors supposed to be backstage? Or maybe he was just someone who was into Romeo and Juliet on an unhealthy level? 

Who really knew with Gerard?

"Hi, I was a bit scared there, man. I was afraid I wouldn't be allowed in." Frank chuckled, admiring the gold and red costume with a slowly forming smile. The brown haired boy took note of this and smiled, "I, uh, made it myself, that's why it looks so different to everyone else's. I also dyed my hair just for this, though no one noticed. I dyed it uhm, a much richer and more coppery color so it was pretty!" He beamed, boldly taking Frank's wrist and excitedly dragging him down a long, narrow hall to backstage, where he was immediately met with glares. Damn, theatre kids could be mean.  
Though it was deserved, it was very close to curtain and Frank should be in his seat by now. However, when he let his eyes wander to see how Gerard reacted, the boy was oblivious as he took him to the wings to look out into the audience, hundreds of people waiting for a performance. "Look at them all! I like to watch before I go on, uhm not in a creepy way!" Good job clarifying, Gerard. Frank laughed at that little addon, wondering to himself what was so interesting about watching old bastards jizz their pants over a school play. But.. Gerard's eyes held a glow that made Frank not question it, stepping back as Gerard looked on with great interest.

As the boy stared, Frank really got to take a look at Gerard's costume. The pearls that were so meticulously strung onto his torso while his ruff was fluffed to perfection, sitting upon his white neck like a cloud. The wine colored velvet of the small cape he had seemed to be made of laughter and blood, made with a careful hand all the way down to Gerard's high heeled pumps. He really did his research, huh?  
Withal, the teenage boy's lingering eyes fell down to Gerard's backside and God, he didn't expect the pants to fit like that. The royal silk was shaped perfectly around Romeo's round behind, slightly snug as it emphasized that entire portion of his body. And don't even start on how those cream tights looked on his voluptuous figure. It had gotten to the point where Frank didn't even hide that he was staring straight at Gerard's lower half, like he wished he could cut it off and keep it for his own. Maybe dress it up in fishnets and a skirt? Though the upper half was just as lovely.   
Frank felt like a living Harley Poe song at that point, averting his gaze to someone pulling his arm harshly and leading him out much to Gerard's dismay. "Hey, break your balls or whatever, man!" He yelled at the top of his lungs to the sweet actor, who giggled and waved, rushing to fix his makeup.

  
Frank's pleather vest fluttered behind him as he rushed to a seat that had a hastily taped piece of notebook paper that said, "To the hippie guy :)".

Cute.

He sat down, silencing his phone and staring up as the lights dimmed and two of the chorus took the stage, starting with the iconic sentence willing to bore and inspire, "Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new-"  
Yeah, Gerard was right.

  
This was going so much better.


	3. And How About After the Fact?

William Shakespeare was one of Gerard's biggest idols, right up there next to Dave Mustaine and Glenn Danzig. How could Gerard _not_ look up to such pure, unfiltered genius that was neatly spilt onto parchment upon parchment? He was the kid who adored all of the children's adaptations, ran around in homemade gowns and girdles proclaiming each and every move to killing his rival teddy bear.

It was so much simpler back then when his only worry was whether an inanimate object looked 'dead enough'.

That was why this role was pure dreams and joy wrapped up in a cloud coated bundle, exploding in his face and melting the eyes right out of the sockets. Well, that's how it felt when the casting sheet got put up. As per usual, those gathered around in the tight crowd merely glanced to the beaming boy, rolling their eyes and discussing their own roles, or lack thereof. The same night he found out he was the protagonist, and got his lengthy script, he was seen as an asshole by his only friend in his theatre class. All because he was a talented actor. That resulted in lots of tears at dusk, contemplation on giving up and asking Ms. Evans to give his role to the understudy, and unintentional regression...  
Yes, Gerard was an age regressor. It often decided to appear when he was most upset and vulnerable, though he held that childlike spirit all the time. That nativity that rewired his mind to think that all the world could only do good, only hippies like Frank roamed the Earth on their hooker-shaped stilts. Thus, he got into situations that overwhelmed him, and often got harrassed for this by sad excuses who don't feel an ounce of empathy.  
Poor boy.  
But he couldn't worry about that now! He had a show to put on! As soon as Benvolio awkwardly walked on to look for the character, Gerard stepped out on a spiral staircase from the large, invisible catwalk. The iron wrought rails contrasted his shining outfit and his somber eyes as he recollected his woes with love, oh Rosaline! What was in such a name? As he wallowed in self pity, dramatizing his love life, Frank smiled like an idiot up at him.  
Perhaps it was because Frank felt like he knew Gerard, understood his passion, or maybe he felt slight pity, but he was enjoying this showing so much more than the last. What was making these few hours so worth it? It was rather lucky the dandelion-tinted lights blocked the view of the audience, because if Gerard saw Frank? And his oh so handsome smile? He could very well combust into a silver fire, raven lips upturned in a joyous grin flying from it such as sparks from pure steel.

Could Frank be a well built mallet to Gerard's very own blazing sunlight rapier, stained with the blood of a lover's cousin?

<>

The brief quarter hour intermission came much too soon in Frank's eyes, why couldn't Shakespeare have given more lines to his sweet Romeo? More lovely smiles? More opportunities to show how fantastic he could be?  
As Frank exited the theatre to take a smoke break, he suddenly felt his phone vibrate quickly, urgently. Pulling the sleek item out of his torn up flares' pocket, staring at the message sent.  
Fuck, he forgot about his secret little arrangement. Frank immediately texted back and asked him if the next monday at school worked, reminding him of his minimum price and merely getting a 'k' in response. That shit irritated him to no end, but the thought left his mind as something colorful caught his eye on the way out of the building. Beautiful red and white roses, fully stocked since no one bothered to buy any. How gorgeous were those? Fit for a prince.

Fit for a star-crossed lover.

Rainbow pencils drew up a photo of those flowers, storing that wonderful drawing in file cabinet which set an alarm for an hour from that point in which Frank took out his pack. Usually his smoke breaks lasted around five minutes, taking time to get his thoughts out in the form of ash and smoke, his pen a Yellow Submarine Zippo lighter. This time, he cut it short since he'd rather be safe than sorry when I came to seeing Gerard perform. As he snuffed the fag, and threw the butt in the garbage can, a thought crossed a high road. Why not go see Gerard? Maybe tell him what a great job he was doing? How proud he was to see him up there?  
Proud? Wait a minute, Frank barely knew this kid, he couldn't be proud of him.. right?  
Besides, Frank probably wouldn't be allowed backstage, and he wouldn't forgive himself if he interrupted the 'genius' Gerard seemed to naturally have. It was clear Frank did not know a thing about theater as Gerard was happily headbanging to Run to The Hills by Iron Maiden, much to the makeup artist's dismay. But Gerard was magical, and his hair still kept the light bounce it needed to fit the pompous character just right.

Genius.

The intermission ended soon after and Frank sat down, the director decided to cut act three in half, so the moment when Romeo kills Tybalt was rather dramatic and besides, who didn't enjoy having the second half start off with a bang? Well.. this case it was a stabbing. It was interesting seeing someone so sweet and lovely to stab someone on stage, fake blood spurting out all over him...

  
That should not have been as arousing as it was.

  
But Frank kept a straight face all through the rest of the show, right to the end when Romeo and Juliet die in each other's arms while Paris says his final line. As the lights went black and the theatre erupted in applause, Gerard got a quick glimpse of Frank's intrigued expression, and that made him smile. Whistles and shouts emitted sporadically as the lights went up again and the cast came on to bow, starting with extras, who got barely any applause to Gerard and his co-star, Wendy. As soon as Gerard did his gay little curtsey, Frank couldn't help but laugh but immediately whistled, Gerard's eyes meeting his. Those wooden irises shone as the chubby boy's cheeks bloomed wild roses. The vast expanse of the stage was soon emptied and the audience immediately got up to leave. However, Frank waited, staring up at the stage in intense thought.  
Why was he so drawn to the boy? He hadn't even seen him before yesterday, let alone felt satisfied with him. The black haired man immediately pushed that away from his brain, focusing on the alarm going off.

  
Those roses.

  
He ran much faster than he perceived, dodging crowds as he chased the unmoving card table with cheap black velvet over it to at least give some sort of presentation.  
Frank immediately grabbed the table as the two freshman started to pack up and he coughed out. "One red rose please." He hacked and gagged, not used to running like that at all. Fuck it burned. Allison, the girl who had her name proudly presented on her chest like it was some prize she gave herself, raised an eyebrow. No words, just her sliding a rose to the boy as he threw a five on the table, much more than this was worth to others but right now it meant the stage, school, country, world, universe to him.  
"Thanks, dipshits." He grumbled, walking away down that narrow hall, golden awards glistening in the stream of moonlight that poured into the corridor without any regard. The moon didn't understand beauty.  
'Should I knock?' He thought with light steps, stopping in front of the two heavy metal doors. It was always rather funny how locked up this room seemed, it was just costumes and makeup... nothing of worth.  
That's when the door opened and Frank almost had a head-on collision with Tybalt, who looked pleased as punch. "Out of the way, asshole." His voice was set to a low growl as he pushed past Frank, stripping off his plain felt hat whilst walking out the side doors.  
Gerard had heard that and was about to ignore it when he saw Frank standing in the doorway, eyes widening with pure delight. "Oh! Hold on!" Immediately, the boy hastily wiped off his glittering makeup and ran to Frank with a wide grin. "Uhm... was it better?" He asked sheepishly, losing the rush of confidence he seemed to feel during a show.  
"Hell yeah it was, you were right, the second night is much better than the first. I might think of writing about this night instead of the trainwreck that happened yesterday." Frank let out a laugh as Gerard giggled nervously, shifting his weight. "Are you in the advanced English? I wish I was that literary inclined." 

A small pause as Frank held up the rose. 

"Oh this was on the ground, and so I decided, hey.. it's the least I could do to repay you for the nice night." Frank delicately placed it in Gerard's hands with a warm grin, their pupils wide and unafraid, just for that moment. "Oh, that means someone finally bought a rose! Too bad they lost it. Maybe I should dry out the petals, make it a bookmark?" Gerard questioned aloud, tilting his head and letting a hum past his cherry blossom lips. "I just thought you would like it... Hey, I had a good time, thank you for the free seat." Frank responded gratefully, taking out his phone. "Could I get your number? Maybe score some one-on-ones with the person who carried the show ok their back? I'll be sure and use it in my critique." As the rest of the undressing cast heard that, they rolled their eyes. Just another guy desperate to get in _someone's_ pants, huh?  
Gerard reluctantly agreed, pulling out his embarrassing little device, and trading phone numbers. 

Then, it got down to naming the contacts.

"Hey, uhm.. what's your name?" Gerard asked, a blush spreads across his plump face as Frank let out a chuckle, one made of lace and honey, "Frank, and yours?"

"Gerard... but what's in a name?"


	4. The Deal

The walk back out to the pale yellow Volkswagen Beetle was lonely, to be blunt. Frank just couldn't place his finger on it, was it because he became used to Gerard walking with him after one day? Hell, they barely talked! Gerard had blood all over his nose and was scared to the bone, why would he miss that?

Perhaps it was the static, electric power between the two of them, one uniting them under a common goal; Get Gerard to his car. It was like a video game mission, one that seems minor but changes the entire path of the story once you complete it. So that got Frank thinking on what would have happened if he wasn't there to take that deal, didn't hear Gerard's upset cries for help. God, that got Frank mad now that he knew more about Gerard, his hands tightened on the leather steering wheel as he pulled into his driveway, running into his quaint little home and up the stairs, past his parent's room. He slammed the door and got genuinely angry.   
Who the hell would do that to such a sweet boy? Perhaps it was motivated by jealousy, or pure evil some had in their lonely hearts, distracting themselves with deeds to make them feel powerful?

Frank knew quite a bit about that.

After Frank had calmed down from screaming into his Chevron patterned pillow cover, and kicking at his abused dresser with the side of his coal combat boots, he debated on texting the very boy. There was no harm in trying, anyway. Though he was certain that he would be passed out in bed.

[Hey, I'm bored and I'm guessing you're asleep,,, so how's your morning???]  
There was a pause before Frank got an immediate response from the quick typer.  
[hi im still awake:)]

Well, that certainly wasn't what he expected, Frank assumed the boy would be exhausted after giving a perfect performance two nights in a row, asleep as soon as a strand of unruly brown hair, doused in hair spray and glitter, brushed against his mattress.

[Well, I'm glad to see, were you alright after the show???] Frank asked, genuine concern taking over his face, what if he wasn't? Got shoved in another locker? God, Frank would just feel terrible, knowing he could have waited, walked Gerard out to his car...  
[i was aokay! im very sleepy]

The two boys talked all night, and well into the early morning, as soon as the light touched Gerard's window, he passed out, not so tired considering how long they talked. Frank could get by, though, taking a nap on Sunday. Their conversation varied, from music taste to classes. Apparently Gerard was rather into old school metal, with some glam as well as thrash. He also appreciated some French noise here and there. Frank was.. surprised at that, even after seeing his show bag. It seemed the boy would listen to something much softer, such as show tunes or Cavetown. 

  
But metal fucking rocked, so he wasn't complaining.

Gerard was very interested in the type of classes Frank took, Frank had started the foundation art class this year, which was rather strange since they only had one more year until graduation, but he wasn't going to comment on that. He was very happy one of his friends was into art in the first place, just like him!

Friend... could he call him that? Was it the forbidden term only to be used with people who you know actually liked your presence? Gerard didn't even know if anyone else had made the discovery yet...

<>

  
Monday came around with a blowtorch to the collarbone, instilling the hatred for it each time it visited the week. To Frank, Monday was the creepy uncle of days of the week, Thursday being a rather close second with the touchy grandma. It was strange, but Frank often gave numbers and days of the week personalities, possibly to cope? He remembers he used to come up with Romeo and Juliet stories for numbers, six being the quiet, fair Juliet and seven being the charming, rascal Romeo. This was usually in elementary school when the instructor went on long rants and lectures about nothing particularly important or useful.

Always one for practicality.

It seemed Frank always made it a point to arrive at exactly 7:10, twenty minutes before classes started. None of his friends knew if he was actually trying to prove something by being punctual, but he had gotten pulled over quite a bit for it.  
Fucking hardasses.

As he walked up to the small metal gazebo the school had, which had aged to a lovely copper color, blending in with the punk group. "Hey asshole, where were you Saturday?" He was immediately asked by his best friend, Jamia. She and him knew each other since second grade and couldn't be kept apart ever since. There was no romance, no locked away malice just waiting to be revealed. Simply two pals trying to get through a confusing time. "Oh I was at that play, had to watch it again because I fell asleep halfway through the first time." He snorted, lying with a soft tone as he pulled out his phone.

As if on cue, over the top of his screen he spotted that pinocchio wood hair, how it seemed to float at a certain boy's shoulders without a care in the world. It was certainly strange seeing him, thinking he only existed outside of school, forbidden to come in as it would disrupt the flow of the works at large. However, Gerard did what he pleased and Frank was more than fine with that.

Too bad Gerard didn't notice Frank, but Jamia certainly noticed something with the way Frank admired at the boy, the way there seemed to be a flurry of silver snowflakes falling into his wide pupils. A house stood in Frank's irises, erected to be proud and at the ready for someone to move in.

And it seemed the camo bags were already packed.

The group talked away, mainly about a concert they were planning to go to that Wednesday, until the bell rang and classes started.   
It was strange, but Frank realized how he seemed to notice Gerard a lot more now that he knew him. He saw the boy at ends of halls, or across the college style campus. Always keeping an eye out for that pixie nose. Through the first four classes of the day, all he could think of was talking to Gerard, texting him again, asking how he was doing, seeing if he was okay. Goes to show how relevant someone can become in your mind, take over your entire brain in a matter of hours.

When lunch came around, Frank raced to the predetermined meeting spot behind the front office building where he would get his hefty payment. The dirt he had was sure to scar people, make them distrust from loving. See, the male he was meeting with had a girlfriend he loved dearly... it would be a shame if she slept with her Chemistry teacher, along with two other seniors... as he waited, he decided to text Gerard, but what to say? Was it weird to just text someone you barely know out of the blue? It seemed he had more balls on Saturday than he did now, or maybe he was just wiser now that he could actually keep his head up.  
[Hey, how are you doing???]

"Alright, here's the money, now who the fuck is Julia seeing?" A mousy haired young man asked, eyes wide. 300 dollars, all for new guitars, games... all for some shit he heard from around school? It was easy money. "She fucked Mr. Bradley, Jace Zimmermann, and Tyler Waterston. This didn't happen." Frank was always sure to delete texts, and make sure others did too. If something cake up that was illegal, he'd rather not be involved. While walking away, he saw that boy's face burn a metallic orange, like a weapon of destruction in the making. As he sat down by the language arts building, he watched in great interest as that same boy tackled the teacher walking around, immediately causing a fight. There were groans and plenty of people gathered around like moths to an LED, unable to suppress their thirst for blood and bruises.

This was one of the rare times Frank felt okay with causing a fight, that guy was a pedophile, he deserved that shit.  
[hi frank! im alright theres a bunch of people in the courtyard and im scared to go close:(]  
Frank smirked, eyes darting out to see if he could find Gerard, but to no avail.  
[Don't worry about it, a pedo is getting beat to a pulp, where are you]  
The loud bell sang out it's depressing, one note tune. Damn, lunch went by fast... He didn't even get to see Gerard again, which he really wanted to do...  
[Hey, meet me by the yellow beetle in the parking lot after school]

And with that, Frank slung his mint fringed tote over his shoulder and walked to AP English, ready to start his critique, all while on the other side of school, Gerard was happily giggling at his phone. Someone as handsome and nice as Frank wanted to actually talk to him in person? This was what dreams were made of!... Real dreams.

[okay! im excited to see you under the sun:)]


	5. Can You Come Over?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has taken so long..

The rest of the dull school day was spent waiting for it to end, waiting for the sweet release of the dreary bell to give its blessing over all the students.

It was a bit like holy water, that bell... placebo spread to each and every student that the stress was over when in reality they were sent home with mountains of reasons to worry. That's how Gerard saw it, anyway. See, the boy wasn't fond of religion in the slightest, Catholic school had been a drag before his mom couldn't pay tuition anymore. All the snobby kids making fun of the boy who enjoyed wearing skirts, and curled his hair. That was in sixth grade. Then he was forced into an entirely new environment where those around him judged and harrassed him for not knowing simple sexual things. Both completely different forms of bullying, but they both did quite a number on his mental health.

He was the stiff.

By the time the bell rang, Gerard was buried so deep in his sand dunes he couldn't hear the exciting noise. Hell, the only reason he snapped out of his zombie state was because someone threw a pencil at his cheek, causing him to jerk and whimper. Gee looked to see who hurt him, who disturbed him but there were merely shadows of the various students there. Even the instructor decided to ditch the poor boy... this was fine. It was all fine. There were still people in the school, right?  
He wasn't all alone, there was still someone in the hallway?

The hallway decided to clear at the perfect moment, not a footstep was heard as Gerard leaned from his lightweight desk to peek out.

Not a soul. Not even a stray pencil left behind...

An odd beam of light sliced across Gerard's pupils, showing the transparent gloss that was forming. His body was still, he had to keep his body still. He had to act like he was leaving, like he wasn't there anymore or...

"Please someone be there." A soft cry slipped past his natural bubblegum lips, slinking away on the floor and into a locker. There was not a peep heard back, not one whisper asking what was wrong. He was alone in this building. He was all by himself with nothing between him and a possible brush with death. No one to protect him... That was when the chestnut haired actor started to break down, hunching over the table with a vulnerable aura. "No no no... please someone be here, please, I don't wanna get beat up..."

"Please..."

The immaculate silence was disrupted by the lone voice in the classroom, the few teachers left in the building merely glancing to their doors.  
Highschoolers, huh?  
But no one got up, no one really checked. No one gave an inkling of comfort to the upset sounds. Meanwhile, Gerard was getting more frantic, grabbing his plain ashy grey backpack and holding his close, tears spilling down into the desk as his irises locked onto various sharp objects like a target. Oneself did not listen to their mind's reason in the time like this.

Gerard felt he was in danger all because of those steel death traps lining the halls.

Eventually, after many wasted tears watered the dark specks on the linoleum like they were hopeful seeds slowly blossoming into a well needed hug was when Gerard phone vibrated, breaking him out of the cruel room his mind locked him in.

[Hey where are you??? Are you okay]

It was Frank, tearing down the sickly wallpaper Gerard had gotten himself trapped in. There was a few moments of staring, then even more of slowly sending a reply back, contrasting the chubby boy's usual speed. Every click of the keypad on his Alcatel seemed laborious, like his red knuckled fingers could give out at any moment until he finally sent the note off with a small _ding!_

[im ok ill be out in a sec:)]

It was clear from how long Gerard took to respond that he wasn't acting as himself, perhaps taking on another character? Another Romeo? All Frank knew was that Gerard would be safe with him. As he snuffed out his cigarette on the brick wall beside his car, he eagerly awaited Gerard. The boy had gotten himself out of the desk, shuffling out into the hall, where he heard two teachers gossiping. Oh... so he had that emotional freakout over nothing?...

  
That totally just made him feel that much better about himself.

  
As Gerard moved out into the courtyard and willed himself to the back parking lot, he caught a glimpse of Frank waiting by the retro car. Seeing the handsome man felt oddly comforting, making Gerard pick up the pace and walk over to the teenager with a small smile, cheeks still nice and rosy. "Hey.. sorry, I had to do... do w-work." He lied, maintaining very intense eye contact... It was clear he wasn't the best liar. Frank raised an eyebrow and observed the boy's red face, and his still glossed eyes. Like a baby doll left in a humid cabinet... yeah...

  
Exactly like that.

"It's all cool, man. I wanted to ask, do you wanna come over to my place?" The question seemed to come out of nowhere, but Gerard couldn't help the immediate giggle that left his small lips. "Oh... I need to ask my mom. I like keeping h-her updated on... you know.. where I am." God, now _that_ was embarrassing to say aloud, never having to actually say that to anyone before. Gerard's obvious childlike clinginess was cute in a way to Frank, seeing him so concerned over making sure his mother knew he was safe. That all might just be because the boy was leagues more mature than most of the people Frank knew, adult or teenager.  
Such ignorance.

"I don't mind, you'll just have to follow me. Don't worry, I'm not easy to lose." The punk nodded to the neon green decal that proudly stated, 'ACAB'. That caused Gerard a smile, and he nodded, typing in his mother's number and waiting for her to pick up. While the two spoke, Frank leaned against the hood of the car, not wanting to risk sitting on it and denting his beauty. As Gerard turned away, back facing Frank while he bargained with his mother, the former tilted his head, eyes following along his silhouette. There was gold surrounding his head, as if he were an honorary saint. Frank didn't quite realize, but a sweet grin was spreading across his lips as he stared. How could someone's body hold such a lovely glow? Gerard soon finished the conversation, turning back to Frank who couldn't take his loving gaze off the boy. The exact gaze he had on the second night...

Not even the sharpest rapier could cut through his vision, never the one encrusted with the most jewels, or the one held by an unassuming spirit.

"She said yeah! Uhm, le-lead the way, I suppose." Gerard's car door shutting was the only thing to shake Frank out of the trance he put himself in. Quickly, he jumped in his front seat and started off to his house, music loud to block the paths his mind needed so desperately to wander down. Why was he so fascinated with this actor? What was the reason he found him so gorgeous? Their long text conversation only cemented that feeling, seeing how kind and intelligent he was...

Fuck.

Gerard followed close behind Frank, keeping his eyes on the decal and sun worn flower magnets along the back, living life without a care. Oh God, Gerard wished he could be a flower. That would be so nice, even if the lifespan was short and you had the risk of getting stepped on. It just seemed much more desirable than living on this planet as a boring human. The car was silent as he pulled up by the small home, tilting his head and slowly getting out of the car. Frank poked his head out of the window and flashed a smile to Gerard, turning off the Beetle and getting out. He unlocked the front door and motioned for Gerard to enter first while he took shy steps up to the black door. "Y-You'd be in trouble if I was uhm.. a vampire." Gerard teased with a much more closed off demeanor. Anywhere new was dangerous, and he would rather not be left alone here...

Being alone in a building was scarier than the thought of a zombie apocalypse to Gerard.

Well, first impressions.. it was a lovely little home but smelled of pot and vanilla. Somehow, those two scents danced in a lovely tango, one Gerard could certainly appreciate. Frank threw his tote by a closet, and ran upstairs, calling to Gerard, "Come on, there's nothing to do down there!" That put a small blush on Gerard's cheeks, the boy walking up with his bag and into Frank's bedroom.

The first thing Gerard's eyes went to were Frank's guitars, they hung from the wall with pride you could practically taste. Frank noticed the brown haired boy look and grinned, chuckling, "Yeah, those are the first things everyone notices. My favorite is Lois, the neon green Dean by the window. There's a bass that looks like it too, I really want it." He explained as he pulled off his boots, patting the spot beside him on the bed. "You know I don't bite, Gerard, it's alright." He reassured softly, noticing how hesitant the boy was. That sentence calmed Gerard down slightly, the boy happily sitting beside Frank, not able to keep his eye on just one poster that was pinned to the charcoal wall. Frank smirked and laid back as he looked to Gerard, an all too familiar feeling sprouting up in his eyes and in his jeans. The boy's eyes widened and he turned so his crotch was facing away from Gerard, who was innocently looking around. Eventually, he got up and started to walk around the room. "Oh... you have records. Uhm.. may I?" He made a motion with his thumb that just drove Frank wild, silently asking to thumb through the vinyls. "Oh, yeah, of course. Just be careful." He cooed, starting to physically sweat as the sweet boy let out a hum and turned around.

There was that voluptuous lower half again, which was a snug fit in those straight jeans. Oh, and what was that? A small hole, right on the left side. Whatever omniscient being put that there surely must hate Frank, because a warm sensation fueled his brain. His own addictive gasoline, made with testosterone and those star sprinkles everyone ate as a child. This kid.. this Theater kid... how could he be so hot all around? See, Frank was rather into chubby boys like Gerard, just his preference and the boy had just the body of his dreams. Clothes hugging his curves in such a nice way? 'I must be dreaming, no way I'm getting this fucking horny over some guy.' He thought while silently palming himself, which seemed to trigger something, his jeans tightened as he let out a huff, too overrun with multiple fantasies of kissing, sucking, and licking that he couldn't think straight. His mind opened all those paths and he took his merry time down each and every one of them. What if Gerard was naked right now? What if _I_ were naked right now?  
What kind of underwear does Gerard wear, does he have panties?

However... it seemed that was the poor hormonal teenager's undoing as Gerard gasped excitedly, carefully pulling out a Misfits record. It was too late before Frank could say anything, the boy turned around in pure, naive glee as he giggled, "Oh, I used to have this! Oh-"

Immediately his eyes went to the erection and the beading sweat on Frank's forehead, causing his black hair to stick to his olive skin like they were lovers.

"Uhm... it's not what it looks like...

Promise."


End file.
